Here are some tools that will make you a smarter, more well-informed voter in today's election.

Listening to KCBS All News Radio yesterday, I learned about SmartVoters.org, a non-partisan web site that helps voters understand the political issues in their state. The site also gives you direction on how to cast your vote.

Each candidate is invited to publish a "candidate's paper," to present to you, the American Voter, for your consideration.

Just enter in your address and zip code, to find your personalized ballot with your polling location and information about contests, candidates, and ballot measures.

Smart Voter is an international award-winning site produced by the League of Women Voters of California Education Fund, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation whose mission is to:

Provide voters with comprehensive nonpartisan information about the contests on their ballot in an easy-to-use presentation.

Provide a means for candidates to publish information about themselves and their candidacy directly to voters

The directory not only includes contests in the State Senate, State Assembly, City & County, Schools, but State Propositions, Local Measures, as well as the Presidential election.

To find all the information you need about today's contests on the November 2nd 2004 ballot, go to:

PBS' Interactive Electoral College Map

NewsHour on PBS has published an interactive Electoral College map that is the best we've seen which has tracked the presidential election of 1980 (Carter Reagan), 1984 (Mondale Reagan), 1988 (Dukakis Bush "41") , 1992 (Clinton Bush "41"), 1996 (Clinton Dole), 2000 (Gore Bush "43").

The PBS map also offers voting histories and political facts in each state.

Use the interactive map to figure out which states must fall to President George W. Bush or Senator John Kerry to achieve the 270 electoral votes needed to win the election.

To get to this map go to PBS' "Politics 101" at:

Electoral-Vote.com

True political "junkies" will find hours of fun at Electoral-Vote.com, which incorporates polling data for each state to produce an electoral college prediction for today's presidential election.

Thank you KCBS, PBS, The League of Women Voters and the producers of Electoral-Vote.com!

Inspire & Be Inspired (R).

Here's to healthy, adventuresome, soulful and voter smart living!

~ Jennifer Carolyn King